Rookie Rubio adjusting quickly to NBA

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard from Barcelona has shown he is right at home amongst the fast-paced play and formidable competition of the NBA. Plus, it’s just been too much fun watching SportsCenter highlights of Rubio’s precise and lighting quick passes.

Ricky Rubio of Barcelona is off to a fast start in his first season in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by: darthpedrius / Flickr

So far this season, Rubio has demonstrated impressive court vision and pinpoint passing accuracy. His unselfish team play and desire to make everyone look good has allowed him to divvy up a bevy of impressive bounce passes, lobs, and alley-oops which have translated into points. While he’ll never put up huge scoring numbers, Rubio is currently averaging 11 points per game and shooting 46 percent from the field.

Immense basketball IQ aside, what really makes Rubio special is how his passes don’t simply make it into the hands of his intended targets; they help create shots. He uses his passing prowess to put his teammates in a better position to score. He is currently averaging 8.3 assists per game, along with 2 steals and 3.8 boards. Rubio recently posted his first double-double in a game against the Miami Heat.

For the longest time, sports pundits and analysts questioned Rubio’s ability to effectively make the transition from European basketball to the faster paced and more athletic NBA. He has shown that not only can he adapt, he can potentially excel. The increased physical skills of his teammates allow him to deliver faster passes on the break and give him the opportunity to dazzle audiences with alley-oop lobs that bring crowds to their feet. His job is also made easier due to the fact he is playing with double-double machine Kevin Love, athletic rookie specimen Derrick Williams, and aspiring second year shooting guard Wes Johnson.

As of a few days ago, Rubio has officially usurpedLuke Ridnour from the starting point guard role. Rubio has demonstrated he can more than compete at the NBA level, and it is scary to think that he’ll only be getting better. The Timberwolves currently sit at 5-8, so they still have some growing and meshing to do as a squad, but give them some time, and it’s scary to think of the points they could put up with Rubio throwing passes to Love, Williams, Johnson and Anthony Randolph.

Chris and Michaela follow Rean and Valimar directly into the sequel to Trails of Cold Steel! It’s a game with a number of improvements and differences from the first, but still with the characters and music you’ve come to expect. …

Episode 330: Bun Fight — The gang welcomes a special guest and then decides the fate of man-buns and whether long or short hair is better. Also, Chris draws a line, Kevin makes his presence known early, Michelle knows a …

Top Tigers prospect Franklin Perez has been diagnosed with a right lat strain, per a team announcement. Though he isn’t expected to require surgery, Perez is going to be sidelined for “a minimum of 12 weeks.” Perez, 20, was the centerpiece of the major, last-second swap that sent Justin Verlander from Detroit to the eventual…

The Braves have re-assigned much-hyped prospect Ronald Acuna to minor-league camp, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was among those to report on Twitter. He’ll presumably open the season at Triple-A. It’s rarely notable when a 20-year-old is moved out of major-league camp. Then again, it’s fairly rare even to see a player of that age… […]

The Royals have agreed to a minor-league deal with righty Clay Buchholz, a report from Bob Nightengale of USA Today indicates (Twitter links). If the deal is finalized, Buchholz can earn at a $1.5MM rate in the majors. Buchholz can also reach up to $250K in incentives. He’d earn $25K apiece for making his tenth…

The recent death of owner Tom Benson could eventually result in the Pelicans franchise leaving New Orleans, Tom Ziller of SB Nation discusses in a detailed column. The Pelicans signed a lease six years ago to stay in New Orleans until 2024, but it’s still possible that the franchise could try to break that lease, […]

Danilo Gallinari‘s injury-riddled season has been the Clippers’ biggest issue, coach Doc Rivers told Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register and other media members. Gallinari hasn’t played since February 22nd and has only appeared in 19 games. He was acquired in a deal with the Nuggets last summer with the expectation that he’d solidify […]

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will play on Monday for the first time since breaking a bone in his left hand, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today tweets. Love has been sidelined since suffering the injury during the first quarter at Detroit on January 30th. He was expected to miss eight weeks, so Love recovered a little […]

Draft Adam Schefter reports that rain is in the forecast for USC QB Sam Darnold‘s Pro Day on Wednesday. However, Darnold still intends to throw after skipping that portion of the Combine, even if it rains. Peter King writes that “there’s a good chance the Colts aren’t done trading yet” despite trading down three spots with … The post NFL Notes: Draft, Bills, […]

Adam Schefter reports that the Colts are signing TE Eric Ebron is signing a two-year deal worth a maximum value of $15 million. The Colts have already announced the move. Ebron visited with the Panthers since becoming available and the Patriots and Ravens were mentioned as potential options, but it appears as though the Colts wound … The post Colts Signing T […]

The New York Jets announced Monday that they’ve signed LB Brandon Copeland to a contract. Copeland, 26, originally signed on with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent out of Pennsylvania back in 2013. He lasted just a few months with the team before he was waived and later caught on with the Titans during his … The post Jets Sign LB Brandon Copeland appeare […]